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First class of Design Thinking Academy students complete program

Posted on December 11, 2017

Nineteen students from 15 different majors recently became the first
group of fellows to complete the inaugural semester of Grand Valley’s
new Design Thinking Academy — a program established to help students
become innovative thinkers and problem solvers who are able to make
lasting impacts in the world.

During a ceremony on December 8, the academy fellows were awarded
Design Thinking Academy certificates of completion. John Berry,
director of the academy and Grand Valley’s Design Thinking Initiative,
said the university’s program is one-of-a-kind.

“To my knowledge, there is no other Design Thinking Academy focused
on undergraduates as an extra-curriculum program anywhere else in the
country, so we are unique,” said John Berry. “All employers I’ve
talked with tell me they’re looking for graduates who have creative
experiences beyond their specific majors and that design thinking
provides that mind set and soft skill development important for
innovation and future growth.”

Throughout the fall semester, academy fellows from different majors
worked in small teams to solve a need within the university, or a
community-based issue from a list of more than 16 organizations
wanting to work with the Design Thinking Academy team.

For example, one team of students paired with the Michigan Economic
Development Corporation (MEDC) to tackle the issue of a lack of
affordable housing in Ottawa County. The group additionally worked
with Gentex and United Way to better understand the housing market of
that region.

“After interviewing dozens of factory workers and housing
professionals in the area, we have made a survey to send out to
hourly-wage factory workers in Ottawa County,” said Emilio Fisher, a
sophomore majoring in political science and economics. “We have
determined that there is a strong need for affordable housing closer
to the corporations where these people work, and are very excited to
continue to tackle this issue after we receive the survey results next semester.”

Ryan Kilpatrick, senior community assistance specialist at MEDC, said
even representatives from MEDC who worked with academy fellows learned
more about the design thinking process.

“Very often, we approach a problem with the expectation that we fully
understand the problem and dive right into crafting solutions,”
Kilpatrick said. “What I appreciate about the design thinking process
is the effort taken to gather information, do the work of empathy, and
take a deeper dive into first understanding the nature of a problem.”

Kilpatrick added that the level of professionalism shown by Grand
Valley students has been impressive.

“They are demonstrating an eagerness to be engaged and to help drive
the process,” he said.

Other academy projects included: developing a design thinking program
for seniors at Byron Center High School; helping teams collaborate
across distances at Steelcase; and creating cross-curricular learning
opportunities in the Forest Hills public school system.

The projects the four teams of students have been working on since
August will be stretched through the winter semester.

Berry said following the upcoming winter 2018 semester, the format of
the Design Thinking Academy will be modified to extend through an
entire academic year, rather than lasting for single semesters.

Throughout the semester, academy fellows additionally participated in
a Design Thinking Deep Dive Session, which introduced them to the
process, and sessions facilitated by professionals on the topics of
improvisation, empathy, non-verbal body language, presenting and
prototyping. Students also visited local furniture manufacturer
Steelcase to learn how a company can implement design thinking and
hear why employers seek new employees familiar with the process.

“I fully believe that I will be able to take what I have learned in
the Design Thinking Academy and apply it to my future career as well
as my relationships,” said Steven Reame, a junior majoring in
marketing and finance. “There are so many valuable lessons to be
learned from the process that can be applied to everyday life."

Students interested in applying for the academy can do so by visiting
gvsu.edu/designthinking/dta.
The deadline for applications for the fall 2018 semester is March 1
and the Design Thinking Academy is open to all Grand Valley
undergraduate students, regardless of major.